In the final days before Christmas every year, malls are bustling with shoppers who have waited until the last minute to purchase holiday gifts. 

This tradition has been going on for decades. Check out these photos from 1946, which show hundreds of shoppers gathering outside Macy's Herald Square in New York City on Christmas Eve.

Nearby, this shopper is attempting to hail a cab with his daughter after purchasing a rocking horse.

He didn't appear to be having much luck.

Macy's Herald Square had just completed a $400 million makeover at the time that the photos were taken.

Frances Corless and her daughter "Chickie" (below) were among Macy's shoppers on Christmas Eve. They left the store with their hands full.

Across the street, sidewalks were bustling with shoppers.

Here's a look inside the Macy's Herald Square store 20 years later during the holiday shopping season in 1966, where "Roberta the Robot" demonstrates an electric carving knife to shoppers.

SEE ALSO: 16 Depressing Photos Of America's Latest 'Dead' Shopping Mall

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Faced with unlimited career, personal, and health advice and little time to spare, it's hard to know where to start.

#BIBetter is a 21-day self-improvement program designed for the busy professional, featuring a few habits that will make a big difference and a bunch of tasks that most of us have been putting off for too long.

We recommend participating with at least one other person, so you have more fun and keep each other in check. You can start on any Monday and should complete actions on their specified day when possible.

The following slides go through the days and the science behind them in detail, while you can also reference our infographic calendar.

MONDAY, DAY 1: Floss your teeth. Do it every day for the rest of your life.

Believe it or not, as many as 50% of Americans say they don't floss every day. If you are one of those people, then make today the day you start doing it consistently.

How can you get in the habit?

Stanford psychologist B.J. Fogg is one of the foremost researchers on habit formation. The takeaway from all his work: Floss one tooth.

As in, if you're trying to form a habit, it can helpful to start as small as possible, with a minimum viable habit. The point, Fogg emphasizes, is to insert the structure of the activity in your day, rather than doing it perfectly every time. This way of thinking works for all habits, and it works for flossing, too — and if you floss the whole mouth, then you're doing even better.

Indeed, this core dental hygiene technique will clean your teeth and gums of plaque, protecting your teeth as you age and saving you on dental bills. Some studies have even found that flossing is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and dementia.

TUESDAY, DAY 2: Break a sweat. Do it every day for the rest of your life.

For a wide range of ailments, exercise is an almost magical cure, which "can improve memory and concentration, lessen sleep disorders, aid heart disease by lowering cholesterol and reducing blood pressure, help sexual problems such as erectile dysfunction, and raise low libido," notes Slate.

Just a little bit of exercise has huge benefits. Research shows that running just five to 10 minutes a day can add years to your life, and if you establish that minimum habit now of doing at least that, you can build on it. A seven-minute workout using interval training can make a huge difference.

Longer workouts are obviously great, too.

Think you're too busy to work out? Tell that to GE CEO Jeff Immelt, who gets up at 5:30 every morning for a cardio workout; or Xerox CEO Ursula Burns who has an hour of personal training at 6 a.m. twice a week; or Square CEO Jack Dorsey, who gets up similarly early to take six-mile jogs; or Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who likes to ride his bike every morning.

WEDNESDAY, DAY 3: Write in a journal. Do it every day for the rest of this program.

Psychologists have been studying "expressive writing," or journaling about difficult moments in your life, for a few decades. They've found that a few minutes journaling improves everything from mood to immune system to sporting performance.

It works for work, too: A Harvard Business School study found that people who wrote about their jobs improved their performance by 23%.

"When people have the opportunity to reflect, they experience a boost in self-efficacy," says HBS professor Francesca Gino. "They feel more confident that they can achieve things. As a result, they put more effort into what they're doing and what they learn."

So as a part of this life-improvement adventure, we're asking you to reflect on your day, plus on whatever journeys we send you on. You should also take the opportunity to look at the tasks that lie ahead and start making plans for the ones that require preparation.

If you find journaling to be useful, then we encourage you to keep it up for the rest of your life.

One of the best features about Apple's new iPhones are their improved battery life. However, that doesn't mean you won't eventually run out of juice.

Portable chargers can fill in the gap, but are annoying to carry around. Afterburner combines the convenience of an extra battery pack with a case. It provides 150% phone charge in your pocket. Many cases with batteries are bulky, but this one only adds less than half an inch to your phone's height, and less than one quarter of an inch to the depth, so you'll only add a little heft for a lot of power.

The built in kickstand is great for watching movies or FaceTiming, and the Afterburner even charges using the same cord as your iPhone (Lightning) , so you won't need a micro-USB like other cases.

Thanks to our friends at Stack Commerce, you can grab the Afterburner iPhone 6 battery cases for 26% off plus Free Shipping.

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Get 26% off the Afterburner iPhone 6+ Case ($44 + Free Shipping)

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SEE ALSO:  The Drone Gift Guide: Four Drones To Help You Start Flying [Up To 55% Off]

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There's a lot to think about when you smoke a cigar. But lighting it should be a no-brainer.

The biggest mistake a novice can make when smoking a cigar is to use a Zippo lighter, said Michael Herklots, world-class tobacconist and VP of retail and brand development at Nat Sherman, a cigar emporium in midtown Manhattan. 

Mangling the head, screwing up the cut — those are manageable mistakes. Sparking up the prized cigar with a Zippo on the other hand — that's a catastrophic mistake, Michael told us. 

When a smoker lights his cigar with a Zippo, he's not 100% sure of the fuel that's being used. Butane is okay. It's odorless and free of oil. It won't jeopardize the integrity or taste of the cigar. 

But some Zippos don't use butane. They're a bit more of a wild-card in terms of fuel usage. Some use low-grade, odorous fuels — like fuels made by Ronson — that will greatly taint your cigar. 

Try not to use candles to light your cigar, either. Herklots warned that any foreign substance entering your cigar is undesirable. A vanilla candle can compromise the taste of your tobacco blend. 

The best way to burn? A basic box of phosphorous matches should get the job done, as will non-aromatic and clean butane lighters.

Herklots suggests asking for a match box, taking two matches, and then lighting them against the striker. Once this is done, place the cigar in your mouth and delicately puff on it while lighting the uncut end. With your free hand, rotate the cigar so it doesn't light unevenly.

When the outer rim of tobacco begins to glow, you're good. Blow out the match and enjoy.

The original version of this post was written by Eli Epstein.

SEE ALSO: How To Smoke A Cigar Without Looking Like A Total Amateur

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Everyone needs to take a vacation every once in a while, especially during the holidays.

But vacation means something a little different when you're a millionaire or billionaire.

From massive island retreats to private superyachts, these tech executives' second homes take luxury vacations to the next level. 

Facebook billionaire Mark Zuckerberg recently bought a 750-acre property on the North Shore of Kauai. He paid a reported $100 million for the property, which includes a white-sand beach and former sugarcane plantation.

Source: Forbes

When Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen isn't cruising the high seas on one of his superyachts, he can relax at one of his many luxurious retreats. In addition to an island in Washington and a beachfront Hawaiian estate, Allen owns a hilltop mansion on the Côte d'Azur called the Villa Maryland. He employs a staff of 12 and counts Bono and Andrew Lloyd Webber as neighbors.

Source: Curbed

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff loves all things Hawaii. He wears Hawaiian shirts to work and even named his dog "Koa," after a type of Hawaiian tree. He also owns a 5-acre estate on the Big Island, which he purchased for $12.5 million in 2000.

Source: Wall Street Journal, Honolulu Magazine

People who take public transportation in cities around the world are familiar with a certain kind of annoying problem: "manspreading."

For whatever reason, men who sit on public trains and buses are accustomed to spreading out their legs as far as they can go, leaving little room to sit for any other passengers.

Tumblr blogs dedicated to the issue, like "Men Taking Up Too Much Space On The Train," and another, "Saving Room For Cats" which imagines felines in the huge gaps of space between the men's legs, have brought manspreading into the mainstream.

Even The New York Times got on board, putting a story about the blight on the front page of its Sunday paper.

To combat this this growing problem, New York City's MTA has unveiled a new courtesy campaign targeting the dreaded manspreading with a polite, but firm, request: "Dude... Stop the spread, please."

The friendly reminder, along with a list of other dos and don'ts (“It’s a subway car not a dining car” and “Don’t be a pole hog”) are part of the "Courtesy Counts, Manners Make a Better Ride" campaign and will appear inside MTA buses and subway cars starting in January.

They will then expand to the MTA's commuter rail in February. Plans are also underway to include the reminder in the vocal courtesy announcements inside train cars.

Paul Fleuranges, the MTA's senior director for communications, told The New York Times that while he didn't want the message to be too snarky, he had to speak directly to the offending passengers. 

"I had them add the dude part, because I think, ‘Dude, really?’" he said.

The Times also interviewed admitted manspreaders, one of whom simply claimed “It’s more comfortable," while another said he would gladly move if someone asked to sit. However, the paper also interviewed a woman on the same train who claimed she would be "uncomfortable" asking the man to close his legs.

NYC-interest blog Gothamist also took to the New York City subway where they interviewed manspreaders engaging in the act.They confronted them, and then asked what an appropriate amount of space was to set their legs apart.

All the Gothamist interviewees were not even aware of their etiquette problem, and all had wildly different answers on how much was space was appropriate.

Some defended their wide open legs as "necessary," claiming men have a factor that keeps their legs open women lack. The evidence of other men sitting with their legs together, and the fact that there is no biological reason not to sit with your legs closed, however, seems to contradict this.

It's unclear whether this etiquette campaign will actually change New Yorker's spreading behavior. But, for all of our sakes, it's worth a shot.

SEE ALSO: Here's How They Build New York City's Famous Subway Cars

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Lovers of fine dining, rejoice.

OpenTable recently announced its list of the Best Restaurants in America, based on more than 5 million reviews submitted by OpenTable users.

The restaurant booking site evaluated over 20,000 restaurants across the US, and awarded the top spot to SeaBlue Restaurant & Wine Bar in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

#8 Kai - Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort

5594 W Wild Horse Pass Blvd, Chandler, AZ, 85226

Kai, meaning "seed" in the Pima language, reflects its Native American heritage in its menu, which incorporates local ingredients historically used by the Pima and Maricopa tribes. Dishes include barbacoa Navajo churro sheep and grilled tenderloin of tribal buffalo.

#7 Twenty Eight Atlantic at Wequassett

2173 Massachusetts 28, Chatham, MA 02633

Between nautical decorations, hand-blown glass chandeliers, and eight-foot windows looking out to the bay, guests are fully immersed in the Cape Cod aesthetic at Twenty Eight Atlantic. Take in the view while enjoying butter braised lobster, Atlantic halibut, or wine-poached beef tenderloin. 

#6 Ski Tip Lodge

764 Montezuma Road, Dillon, CO 80435

Take a break from the slopes at this cozy bed and breakfast, where visitors can enjoy a glass of wine at sunset or dessert by the fire. There's also a four-course tasting menu that rotates seasonally. 

Mark Cuban spoke with Henry Blodget at Business Insider's Ignition 2014. He told us about his new app Cyber Dust.

Edited by Devan Joseph. Special thanks to Justin Gmoser and Sam Rega.

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Comedian Dennis Miller, known for his years on "Saturday Night Live," is selling his renovated beachfront home in Carpinteria, California, for $22.5 million, nearly double what he paid for it in 2003, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Miller and his wife bought the home for its prime location on one of California’s most pristine beaches and its exceptional sense of privacy, according to The Journal. 

The 6,000-square-foot beachfront estate sits on more than a half-acre of land with 63 feet of beach frontage on the Pacific Ocean. 

Riskin Associates with Village Properties has the listing. 

Welcome to 3333 Padaro Lane. Located in California’s Santa Barbara County, this charming seaside home was designed by architect Don Nulty.

The five-bedroom mansion was recently renovated and filled with Scandinavian antiques.

The quintessential beachfront home is decorated with a light color scheme.

The pre-flight ritual of standing in long security lines, removing your lap-top and taking off your shoes is getting a little bit easier. That is, if you're willing to pay $85 to become part of the TSA Precheck program.

The program gives travellers access to shorter security lines and makes the airport experience a little less stressful.

We found how you can become a member. It's easier than you think.

Produced by Graham Flanagan

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I've been battling excess weight all my life.

For as long as I can remember, I've been straddling the depressing line between overweight and obese. It's been the greatest challenge of my life in some ways.

I finally conquered that challenge, or came close to it, with a very popular program called P90X. Even though there's still plenty more work to do, I finally feel like I'm no longer on the verge of obesity.

Five days ago, I became a "graduate" of the program as we apparently call ourselves after the 90 days. When I started I weighed 208 pounds, had no abdominal muscles to speak of, and very little defined muscle.

Now I weigh 180 pounds, have a ton of defined upper body muscle, and a strong sheet of abdominal muscles beneath the remaining inch or so of body fat I still need to burn away.

Workout programs like P90X that begin with infomercials and turn popular sometimes get a bad rap for supposedly being money-grubbing scams. I can't speak for other programs out there or other people, but this one was incredibly effective for me. It's led by a compassionate, motivating, and well-known personal trainer named Tony Horton. The effectiveness of P90X hasn't been studied in any published research that we could find, and results will of course vary among individuals. And it's notable that both high-intensity exercise and rapid weight loss carry somerisks.

Here's how I did it.

The Diet

Exercise is the focus of the program, but you'll never get results without doing the P90x nutrition program, too. The diet has multiple phases you can choose to follow at any time based on your personal needs. Most people start with Phase 1, which is very low in carbohydrates. Then, they move onto the other phases.

The phases all have the same calorie count (based on your current body) but different distributions of food types. In Phase 1 you concentrate on fat burning, so it offers the least carbohydrates. When you feel ready, you can move onto other phases to give you the energy to move through your workouts at a high level.

I stayed in Phase 1 the whole time because I had so much fat to burn, which is an option that clearly works but isn't for everybody. There's variety and flexibility here. Making whole foods a larger component of your meals is healthy for anyone, but consult a doctor or licensed dietitian before making drastic changes to your diet.

The Exercise

There are three iterations of P90X by the parent company Beachbody: Classic, P90X2, and P90X3.

I did P90X classic, and the exercise regimen was intense. 

You get a DVD for each workout led by Tony Horton himself. The workouts are six days a week in three different phases, and every day you do something different.

As Horton says over and over, the P90X program is all about muscle confusion. Here's what the makers of the program say about this principle:

"P90X uses targeted training phases so your body keeps adapting and growing. You'll never 'plateau' — which means your body will never get used to the routines, making improvements slow down or even stop.

• Short training cycles constantly challenge your muscles with variety and intensity.
• P90X maximizes fat burning and muscle sculpting in different ways every day.
• No plateau effect means each phase of P90X is as effective as the first."

For example, if you started P90X, your first week would look like this:

Day 1: Chest and Back, Ab Ripper X (an intense, 16-minute abdominal workout)

Day 2: Plyometrics (jump training, cardio, crazy hard)

Day 3: Shoulders and arms (The "glamour" muscles), Ab Ripper X

Day 4: Yoga (90 minutes of the toughest yoga you've ever done)

Day 5: Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X

Day 6: Kenpo X (A karate-inspired cardio routine)

I would not recommend this to everyone. If you're looking for a short workout to squeeze into your daily routine, this isn't it. P90X workouts are long and hard. You're looking at a commitment of about an hour-and-a-half every day to get in the best shape of your life. You're also going to be really sore the first couple weeks.

There's also a lot of repetition. You're doing the same workout DVDs over and over, listening to Tony tell the same jokes over and over. I enjoyed that familiarity, but you might not.

It's also potentially quite expensive. Low-carb diets like this one that stress whole foods rather than processed goods can get pricey at times. You also probably want to get yourself some dumbbells and resistance bands, along with a yoga mat. Combine that with $120 you pay for the program itself, and the price soars a bit. However, those of us who need to lose that weight are usually willing to pay a lot of money and spend a lot of time exercising in exchange for a guaranteed result.

As Tony says in Day 1's DVD, "Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was your body."

Before doing P90X, I went to the gym every day for six years, rocked that elliptical, and sprinkled in some dieting. I never found success like the success I've found with this program. Head to toe I'm as physically fit as I've ever been in my life. My core is strong so I'm less likely to get hurt out in the world, I have less risk of obesity-related diseases, and I look a lot better in a tank top.

The question for me now, of course, is what's next? I'm definitely changing up my diet and eating more carbs to spoil myself just a bit for my hard work. But I'm already making plans to do P90X again. It becomes a lifestyle, and when something works that well, it's hard to resist.

I'll be doing some things differently when I start the program again in three weeks. First, I'm going to do P90X3. The latest version of the program touts 30-minute workouts, which are much more manageable for someone with a schedule as demanding as mine is. (The shorter workouts are probably still a beast, though!)

I'm also not going to do a super low carb diet this time. I'll probably do a more flexible version of a later nutrition phase where carbs are still low but balance out more with protein levels. If I lost 30 more pounds, I'd be scary looking. This round is all about performance and burning the remaining fat away.

SEE ALSO: 6 Scientifically Proven Things Men Can Do To Be More Attractive

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Eggs have gotten a bad reputation over the years, but research by scientists and nutritionists shows they have tremendous positive effects on your health.

Produced by Matthew Stuart

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ABC's hit show "Shark Tank" has made its six investors some of the most recognizable businesspeople in North America.

As 2015 approaches, offering the chance to start fresh and tackle new projects, we asked the Sharks about their goals for the New Year.

Mark Cuban plans on playing more basketball.

The owner of the Dallas Mavericks says he wants to "get back on the court playing pickup three times a week."

Barbara Corcoran wants to make time for friends.

"I'm going to make sure I see one friend every week," she says. "See them — not text, not email. I've turned them into friendships of texting. My closest friends — and I only have like five close friends in my life — I don't see them nearly like I used to. So I'm going to pre-schedule one date with one friend every week."

Daymond John plans on hitting the slopes.

"New Year's Day is when I like to reset my 10 goals. Let me think of a fun one..." he says. "I'd like to start to snowboard more. I'd like to try to start to do the half pipe."

Russia's economy is in free fall. Last night the government took emergency measures to stop the bleeding by hiking interest rates, but it didn't work.Problems run too deep.

Part of Russia's pain is due to dramatically declining oil prices. And part of it is due to international sanctions against the country.

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McDonald's has quietly transformed one of its McCafe outlets in Sydney into a restaurant called "The Corner" with a new menu, new look, and new service style.

The company confirmed to Business Insider Australia that the cafe was a "learning lab" where it was "testing completely new and different food and beverages never before seen in our restaurants."

It's an encouraging sign from the fast food chain, which has long suffered from image problems amid declining sales.

The menu at The Corner includes “salads featuring Moroccan roast chicken breast, chipotle pulled pork, brown rice, pumpkin, lentil and eggplant salads, sandwiches and barista-made quality coffee,” a spokeswoman told us.

She wouldn't share the next steps for the concept, but Paul Colgan, the editor-in-chief of Business Insider Australia stopped by on a recent morning to try the new McDonald's cafe. He shared his photos with us; captions are his own.

'The Corner' is on Missenden Road in Sydney's Camperdown neighborhood, just a few kilometers from the city center and across the street from a major hospital. No golden arches or familiar branding anywhere. Is it really a McDonald's?

Aha! Look closely and you'll see a little 'McCafe' at the bottom of the sign. Let's go inside.

It doesn't feel like a McDonald's. The furniture's different and there are no big backlit signs with colorful menus. It's all a muted brown.

It's proven that sitting all day is killing you, and keyboards and mice can give you carpal tunnel. One way to break free from your desk is through voice recognition software.

Computer dictation can be hit and miss, but Dragon has managed to squeeze 99.9% accuracy into Dragon Dictate for Mac 4, and a similar level into Dragon NaturallySpeaking 13 for PC — which might be even more accurate than your keyboard. Both are fully headset compatible, and you can set up custom lists with apps.

In addition to being able to “write” documents aloud, Dictate for Mac actually allows you to control the other apps on your OS X machine, meaning you can create new documents and send tweets hands-free. Other cool options include the ability to convert pre-recorded audio files into editable text, and the use of voice shortcuts to expand small snippets into often-used longer clauses.

NaturallySpeaking can speak your words back to you for “proof-hearing”, and improve its own accuracy by analyzing your documents. Furthermore, you can even use an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad equipped with Dragon’s app as a remote mic.

Both Dictate for Mac and NaturallySpeaking are available in English, English - UK, French, and German languages.

To grab these Dragon apps at half price, head for the links below (make sure to choose the appropriate language on the product page).

Get 50% off Dragon Dictate for Mac 4 ($99.99)

Get 50% off Dragon NaturallySpeaking 13 Home ($49.99)

SEE ALSO:  The Drone Gift Guide: Four Drones To Help You Start Flying [Up To 55% Off]

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It's Christmas Eve. That means that all over the world families are gathering together around dinner tables to celebrate.

But here in New York, we have our own tradition: Eating at a Chinese restaurant. 

In the beloved tradition of eating Chinese food on Christmas, we've found the best Chinese restaurants in Manhattan.

Big Wong

67 Mott St.

Don't let the silly name fool you: Big Wong is a favorite among fans of classic small-plate, Hong Kong-style fare. It's a bit of a dive, but worth it for the congee (a rice porridge served with a variety of meats and sides).

Grand Sichuan

19-23 Saint Marks Place

There are several branches of the local Grand Sichuan chain, but the one on St. Marks Place is arguably the best one in the city.

The menu of traditional Sichuan dishes is so extensive that you may have trouble choosing.

Han Dynasty

90 3rd Ave.

The beloved Philadelphia restaurant chain opened its first outpost in New York's East Village last year, and it's already a favorite with New Yorkers. Items on the menu are scored 1-10 based on spiciness, with 10 topping out at mouth-scorching.

Order the famed dan dan noodle appetizer, and follow it up with a hot pot or one of the dozen or so other options on the entree section of the menu.

Kitchensurfing, a startup that helps people bring professional chefs to their dinner parties, has moved into bright new offices in New York City.

The office is beautiful, with lots of reclaimed wood and cooking-inspired decor.

The offices were designed by Danielle Arps, who has also worked on spaces for Codecademy, General Assembly, and SailThru.

Kitchensurfing occupies approximately 3,500 square feet of space in a stylish building in the Soho neighborhood of New York City.

The entire office has a very homey feel, with bold prints and quirky art on the wall.

Each of the conference rooms is named after a kitchen utensil, like a rolling pin.

Social media is dominating most of our attention throughout the day. Yet, is it truly changing our face-to-face relationships? Dr. Dan Siegel, clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine reveals how social media is actually physically rewiring our brains.

Produced by Justin Gmoser; Additional camera by Alana Kakoyiannis.

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During the holidays, it seems that everyone sends and receives greeting cards.

Presidents are no exception. 

For more than 80 years, sitting US Presidents have sent out Christmas cards and holiday greetings cards to staff and important supporters across the country. Who gets the cards changes from year to year, but each card is unique.

With the help of the White House Historical Association, we have pulled together 64 White House holiday cards from the past 88 years. Happy holidays!

Calvin Coolidge, 1927

Herbert Hoover, 1929

Herbert Hoover, 1932